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Obama Looks Ahead to March Contests
Monday, February 11, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Democrat Barack Obama, riding a tide of momentum that
Hillary Rodham Clinton needs to stem somewhere, somehow, announced Monday he
is launching TV ads in Ohio and Texas, which hold crucial primaries in three
weeks.
Having swept all five Democratic presidential contests over the weekend,
Obama also was counting on wins in Tuesday's primaries in Maryland, Virginia
and the District of Columbia.
Barring a Clinton upset in one of those states, Obama could have a strong
wind at his back heading into the March 4 Ohio and Texas primaries. Clinton
generally has done well in larger states, and she badly needs victories
there.
But Obama will get the jump on TV ads in the two states. He begins airing
one on Tuesday that features him discussing the death of his mother at age
53 from cancer and the cost of health care. The ad will air on English
language broadcast stations in Texas, and plans are under way for
Spanish-language ads.
Clinton's aides have not said when and where she will advertise in the March
4 contests. Texas organizer Garry Mauro said Clinton would campaign in all
media markets there, though he wouldn't say if she would pay for advertising
everywhere.
Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, told 17,000 people at the
University of Maryland that he is the candidate who can lead the country out
of a long period of divisive and ineffective government. It's a theme he
increasingly uses against Clinton, who was first lady for eight years.
Citing the Iraq war, global warming and economic worries, Obama said he
decided to run for president soon after entering the Senate because "I was
convinced that the size of these challenges had outstripped the capacity of
a broken and divided politics to solve."
"We need something new," he said, dismissing Clinton's suggestions that he
is not tough enough to handle the White House's rigors.
"I may be skinny, but I'm tough," he said, drawing loud cheers.
He recognized the university's highly rated women's basketball team, and
said he regretted not bringing his sneakers to the Comcast Center arena. "I
still got game," said Obama, 46, who enjoys shooting baskets in his free
time.
In recent days, he said Clinton finds it difficult to escape a divisive past
because she became a polarizing figure during her husband's presidency and
her time in the Senate representing New York.
Obama seemed to be coasting into Tuesday's three primaries as Clinton
struggled. She changed campaign managers one day after Obama won the
Saturday contests in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington state and the Virgin
Islands. He also won the Maine caucus Sunday.
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Monday found Obama with a narrow
lead over John McCain in a potential presidential matchup, while Clinton was
about even with the Republican front-runner. It showed Obama leading Clinton
in the race for the Democratic nomination, 46 percent to 41 percent.
Giving Obama a lift in Virginia is Gov. Tim Kaine, who campaigned for him
throughout the weekend. On Monday, Obama told WRVA radio in Richmond that
Kaine was "somebody who is on my short list to have a role in my
administration." He did not specify what slot Kaine might fill.
Meanwhile Monday, Democratic activists speculated about whether former
presidential contender John Edwards would endorse Clinton or Obama. Clinton
quietly visited Edwards last week. Obama aides said the Illinois senator
would meet with Edwards, but did not say when.
A person close to Edwards said those familiar with his thinking do not
believe he wants a big role in a Democratic administration, such as vice
president or attorney general. Rather, this person said, Edwards is pressing
Clinton and Obama on his main issue of fighting poverty.
Obama Looks Ahead to March Contests
Monday, February 11, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Democrat Barack Obama, riding a tide of momentum that
Hillary Rodham Clinton needs to stem somewhere, somehow, announced Monday he
is launching TV ads in Ohio and Texas, which hold crucial primaries in three
weeks.
Having swept all five Democratic presidential contests over the weekend,
Obama also was counting on wins in Tuesday's primaries in Maryland, Virginia
and the District of Columbia.
Barring a Clinton upset in one of those states, Obama could have a strong
wind at his back heading into the March 4 Ohio and Texas primaries. Clinton
generally has done well in larger states, and she badly needs victories
there.
But Obama will get the jump on TV ads in the two states. He begins airing
one on Tuesday that features him discussing the death of his mother at age
53 from cancer and the cost of health care. The ad will air on English
language broadcast stations in Texas, and plans are under way for
Spanish-language ads.
Clinton's aides have not said when and where she will advertise in the March
4 contests. Texas organizer Garry Mauro said Clinton would campaign in all
media markets there, though he wouldn't say if she would pay for advertising
everywhere.
Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, told 17,000 people at the
University of Maryland that he is the candidate who can lead the country out
of a long period of divisive and ineffective government. It's a theme he
increasingly uses against Clinton, who was first lady for eight years.
Citing the Iraq war, global warming and economic worries, Obama said he
decided to run for president soon after entering the Senate because "I was
convinced that the size of these challenges had outstripped the capacity of
a broken and divided politics to solve."
"We need something new," he said, dismissing Clinton's suggestions that he
is not tough enough to handle the White House's rigors.
"I may be skinny, but I'm tough," he said, drawing loud cheers.
He recognized the university's highly rated women's basketball team, and
said he regretted not bringing his sneakers to the Comcast Center arena. "I
still got game," said Obama, 46, who enjoys shooting baskets in his free
time.
In recent days, he said Clinton finds it difficult to escape a divisive past
because she became a polarizing figure during her husband's presidency and
her time in the Senate representing New York.
Obama seemed to be coasting into Tuesday's three primaries as Clinton
struggled. She changed campaign managers one day after Obama won the
Saturday contests in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington state and the Virgin
Islands. He also won the Maine caucus Sunday.
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Monday found Obama with a narrow
lead over John McCain in a potential presidential matchup, while Clinton was
about even with the Republican front-runner. It showed Obama leading Clinton
in the race for the Democratic nomination, 46 percent to 41 percent.
Giving Obama a lift in Virginia is Gov. Tim Kaine, who campaigned for him
throughout the weekend. On Monday, Obama told WRVA radio in Richmond that
Kaine was "somebody who is on my short list to have a role in my
administration." He did not specify what slot Kaine might fill.
Meanwhile Monday, Democratic activists speculated about whether former
presidential contender John Edwards would endorse Clinton or Obama. Clinton
quietly visited Edwards last week. Obama aides said the Illinois senator
would meet with Edwards, but did not say when.
A person close to Edwards said those familiar with his thinking do not
believe he wants a big role in a Democratic administration, such as vice
president or attorney general. Rather, this person said, Edwards is pressing
Clinton and Obama on his main issue of fighting poverty.
